Each week, a story or letter in the Post marks the further erosion of our natural assets. Bushland is cleared here, trees felled there, all displaced by an advancing concrete tide. Week after week.
Development, it seems, always trumps conservation.
But follow this trend to its destination and we arrive at an aesthetically depleted place, devoid of green space, of shade and wildlife. Unhealthy and degraded, exposed to the congestion, noise and fumes of traffic, limited recreational opportunity and nowhere for children to explore and interact with nature.
The combined and cumulative health costs arising from loss of nature are very significant, especially at Perth's latitude.
Cities affect their local microclimate, resulting in "urban heat islands". Whereas plants have a cooling effect through transpiration and providing shade, the inert non-reflective concrete surfaces, absorb and retain heat. Failing to cool at night, progressively hotter by day. Clearly a counterproductive and maladaptive response to a warming planet.
Natural habitats buffer us from heavy precipitation. Events that are likely to become more frequent and intense in the future. Paving over these last gaps in our city magnifies run-off and will exacerbate flooding.
Airborne pollution from fossil fuel combustion, causes thousands of deaths from cardiac and respiratory diseases every year in each of our major cities. Higher air temperatures accelerate the formation of toxic air pollutants leading to more ill health.
Health benefits also occur at an individual level; for example, exercising in green spaces reduces blood pressure. Just having a view of nature improves recovery times and reduces hospital stays.
The truth is we are not accounting for the real value of our natural environment. Not from a health, a social perspective, nor a long term economic perspective.
It may be costing individually, communally and as tax payers right now, but the consequence of liquidating our natural assets and the resources they provide will become ever more expensive in a warmer world.
There is much we cannot change, but we could start investing in our future by conserving our natural heritage.
0 comments:
Post a Comment